Pope leaves loving but divided flock in Africa

LUANDA, Angola -- Pope Benedict XVI on Monday left Africa with a
final impassioned plea to corrupt leaders to let the poor share in
some of the proceeds of the continent's natural resources.

The parting words followed a controversial first pilgrimage to
the continent where the growing number of Catholics welcomed his
ringing denunciations of corruption -- while critics worldwide
condemned his rejection of condoms to fight the AIDS epidemic.

"Our hearts cannot be at peace as long as there are brothers
that suffer the lack of food, work, a house, and other fundamental
goods," the 81-year-old said in his farewell speech at Luanda's
airport before returning to Rome.

The pope bathed in a warm welcome from huge crowds during the
seven-day visit to Angola and Cameroon, two countries with large
Catholic populations and Catholic presidents.

The countries are rich in resources, including oil, but the
countries' bishops accuse the authoritarian regimes of enriching a
small elite while the vast majority remain mired in poverty.

Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos, who joined the pope at the
airport, did not directly address the pope's comments. "We are very
happy we had this opportunity to welcome you to our country and we
are very grateful for all the advice that you have given to our
people," he said.

During the pilgrimage, Benedict said Christianity could inspire
hope among the desperately poor of the region.

But his rejection of the use of condoms to help Africa fight the
AIDS epidemic provoked a firestorm of criticism, including from
governments in France and Germany and European Union officials.

On the plane to Africa, Benedict said that distributing condoms
was not the answer to the problem of AIDS. He said the best
strategy was the church's efforts to promote sexual responsibility
through abstinence and monogamy.

Before Benedict returned to Rome, a few dozen protesters
gathered in front of the Vatican carrying candles and banners that
read "Pro life? Pro condom." They arranged condoms to form the word
AIDS on the cobblestones in front of St. Peter's Square.

Despite the criticisms of his comments, Benedict's flock in
Africa -- the continent suffering most from the disease and where
the church has seen its biggest growth in recent decades -- turned
out in the hundreds of thousands. Even clerics and those who
believe condoms save lives turned out to see him.

Nelson Pestana, a political scientist at Luanda's Catholic
University, said the pope had to be wary that his visit, sponsored
by the state, is not used by dos Santos to legitimize his
authoritarian rule.

The visit was "a win-win situation for both sides, but it
remains to be seen how each side will use the capital gained by
this greatly successful visit for their own ends," Pestana told The
Associated Press.

In Cameroon, Benedict praised a nation at peace, with Christians
and Muslims coexisting, But Cameroon's relative stability comes
under the corrupt and authoritarian regime of President Paul Biya,
who has ruled 27 years through fraudulent elections.